MACHESNEY PARK - After Friday's action, Dakota has four wrestlers who maneuvered themselves into the semifinals of the Dvorak wrestling tournament at Harlem High School this weekend.

The Indians also have three still alive in the consolation wrestle-back brackets, and the smallest school in the 29-team tourney is right in the thick of things.

Still, coach Pete Alber wants to see more from his group.

"I'm not liking much that I've seen out there yet. We've got to get wrestling harder," said Alber, who led his team to the Class 1A state team title last year. "I talked to them afterward, and they know I'm disappointed in the way a few of them have wrestled.

"They'll all be ready for (today). They'll all be ready."

The Indians finished Day 1 of the big tourney in ninth place, in front of both of the Class 3A teams from the area - two places ahead of Hononegah and four in front of the tournament host. Leading the way was defending Dvorak champion Josh Alber (132 pounds), who earned a first-period pin and then a major-decision to stay undefeated - and to stay on track for a meeting with the country's No. 1-ranked 132-pounder Jered Cortez in today's finals.

And, he also set up a string of three weight classes with a Dakota wrestler into the semis, with J.J. Wolfe (138) and Carver James (145) both moving on with bonus-point victories.

The team's other defending champ, Daniel Zimmerman (220) put his opponent on his back in his quarterfinal match as well, but he then made a trip to the emergency room after being poked in the eye before earning the fall.

He was checked and released, according to his coach, and should be ready to defend his title today. The semifinals and wrestle-back brackets bring the Dvorak back to life today at 9 a.m., and the finals and place-matches are scheduled for 2 p.m.

Dillon Swift (106), Alec Henze (113) and Greg Krulas (152) are all still wrestling back with a shot at a medal for Dakota.

Both Harlem and Hononegah have three wrestlers on track for a Dvorak title, with a pair of Hecoxes staying in the hunt for the Huskies.

Kailor Hecox (195) and Sage Hecox (220) will wrestle in back-to-back semifinals today, and Jared Carlton (285) had a pin and a 9-2 decision to keep himself in the race for top billing as well.

Hononegah was in the top half of the standings most of the day, with wrestlers such as Alex Rader helping out in every way possible. Rader (106) won by an 11-3 and a 12-3 count to make it to the semis, where he's joined by his Hononegah teammates Zach Benkovich (160) and Tyler DeMoss (170), also unbeaten in the tourney so far.

Page 2 of 2 - "We're a young team, and a few of them had that deer-in-the-headlights look at times in this one," Hononegah coach Jason Glodowski said. "Everything matters in tournaments like this, and you've got to get your team points in any way you can. They know that. They'll go out there hard (today.)"